BrewDog announces job cuts after posting GBP 37 million loss

United Kingdom | Scottish brewer and pub operator BrewDog has announced job cuts across the business, media reported on 6 October. The firm has not confirmed how many jobs will go. Staff were informed in an email from CEO James Taylor. The trade union Unite said roles could also be lost at BrewDog's Ellon brewery and described it as a “deeply worrying sign for the company's future”.

Ohio Governor bans hemp-derived THC drinks and gummies

USA | One of the fastest growing segments for craft brewers in Ohio has just been eliminated. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, signed an executive order, temporarily banning food and beverage products that contain intoxicating THC derived from hemp. The ban began on 14 October and will last for 90 days. Retailers were compelled to pull these products from shelves.

Diageo to pay “settlement” after Africa anti-competition probe

United Kingdom | East African Breweries’ majority owner, Diageo, will pay USD 750,000, following a probe into anti-competitive business practices in Eswatini, Seychelles, Uganda, and Zambia, media reported on 14 October. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Competition Commission launched an investigation into Diageo, alongside Heineken, Castel and AB-InBev. in 2021, regarding the “market allocation arrangements” and “territorial restrictions” the companies were alleged to have had.

Heineken Austria highlights it economic contribution

Austria | The beer market leader’s contribution to the domestic economy exceeds EUR 1.2 billion, according to a study presented in Vienna on 20 October. The timing of the study’s release is probably not entirely coincidental. Heineken’s Austrian subsidiary, Brau Union, is currently facing antitrust proceedings on suspicion of market power abuses.

BrewDog sells its Lost Forest after 250,000 trees have died

United Kingdom | BrewDog has sold its rewilding estate – dubbed The Lost Forest - in Kinrara near Aviemore in the Highlands, which it bought with great fanfare in 2020 for GBP 8.8 million. The brewer and pub operator pledged it would plant millions of trees on 50 sq km of land, initially telling consumers the project would be partly funded by sales of its Lost Forest beer. In fact, it was largely funded by a Scottish government grant.

Heineken rumoured to cut jobs in Krakow and move them to India

Poland | The spectre of mass redundancies is haunting the Polish city of Krakow, long a hub of shared services centres for international firms. As nothing is certain or confirmed, many locals fear that Heineken is at the forefront of job cuts, allegedly considering a reduction of up to 700 positions in its Krakow shared services centre. They could go to a new centre in India’s Hyderabad. The Krakow branch has been operating since 2012, serving the brewer’s global processes.

Heineken to acquire FIFCO’s beverage and retail business

The Netherlands | The seven central American countries with an estimated population of 52 million people have rarely been in the news in recent years, except when foreign media decided to report on its endemic violence and corruption stemming from organized crime and the drug trade. So, it was a piece of good news, highlighting the region’s business potential, that Heineken announced on 23 September, it will acquire the beverage and retail operations of Florida Ice and Farm Company (FIFCO) in a deal valued at about USD 3.2 billion in cash.

United Kingdom | The pub operator and brewer Greene King broke ground on a new, state-of-the-art brewery in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in August, marking the start of a GBP 40 million (USD 54 million) construction project to build a more sustainable facility.

Budget shortfalls: CAMRA cancels 2026 beer festival

United Kingdom | CAMRA, the real ale enthusiasts’ group, cancelled Britain’s biggest beer festival amid an existential crisis as it launched a cost-cutting drive, The Guardian newspaper reported on 10 September.

Carlsberg is exploring an IPO for its Indian unit

Denmark | Carlsberg is reportedly evaluating a potential listing of its Indian operations, media reported on 16 September. The time seems to be right as Carlsberg India had a robust financial year 2024 with revenues of approximately INR 80 billion (USD 910 million). Results for its financial year 2025 (ending March 2025) are not available yet.